Saturday, 2 February 2013

Non 1:1 iPads

In addition to our trial set of iPads from Jigsaw, we also have a class set, which as of last week can be booked out by any member of staff for use in a lesson. I used them several times last week and so I thought I would share some of the Apps that I have enjoyed using so far:

Edmodo. I have been using the full web version for a while and I have to say the app is just as good. A great platform for sharing work with pupils, getting feedback and grading assignments. Pupils love its 'Facebook style' appearance and enjoy using it. It is simple and very safe - only you and your pupils (who have a code to enter the online group) can view posts. The only drawback is that not many apps are compatible with Edmodo yet, so in order to upload work they really need to upload a screenshot of what they have done.

SimpleMind+ A way for pupils to create mind maps to organise their thoughts. I have also found it very useful for vocabulary building - pupils are given a topic and they can use the online dictionary and SimpleMind to note down as many relevant words as they can find in 5 mins.

Flashcardlet My GCSE class have been making revision flash cards with this app. They like it!

Audioboo Works a little bit like Twitter, but with sounds. Pupils can record a piece of speaking and give it a hashtag - all recordings stored under the same hashtag can be easily searched for by the teacher.

Socrative Think this is one of the best apps I have seen for education. Using a teacher account you can create quizzes or tasks for your pupils. Pupils log into your online classroom with a pupil account and 'room number'. As they go through the quiz you see their answers updating on your iPad in real time. A report is emailed to you at the end of each session with details of what individual pupils got wrong/right.